Container with resilient supported base



25, 1966 s. w. FLAXENBURG 3,231,124

CONTAINER WITH RESILIENT SUPPORTED BASE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 29, 1963 F/GIZ INVENTOR. SAMUEL WFLAXE/VBURG max M ATTORNEY Jan. 25, 1966 I s. w. FLAXENBURG 3,231,124

CONTAINER WITH RESILIENT SUPPORTED BASE Filed Aug. 29, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. SAMUEL M. FL AXE/VBU/PG ATTORNEY United States Patent M 3,231,124 CONTAINER WITH RESILIENT SUPPORTED BASE Samuel W. Flaxenburg, Rosemont, Pa., assignor to United Packaging Co. Inc Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Aug. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 305,370 8 Claims. (Cl. 21752) This invention relates to a shipping container, and more particularly, to a shipping container for large heavy items which are delicate in nature and cannot be subjected to substantial amounts of rough handling.

The shipping container of the present invention is adapted for providing an overpack for large items weighing up to approximately twenty tons. The shipping container of the present invention is structurally interrelated in a manner to provide a floating support for the item to be packaged. Thus, the item to be packaged is fixedly secured to a mounting base. The mounting base is freely resting on a layer of shock absorbing or cushioning material. The shock absorbing material is freely resting on a skid or the like. A means is provided for maintaining the mounting base in contact with the shock absorbing material without providing a direct connection between the mounting base and the shock absorbing material. Preferably the last-mentioned means is fixedly secured to the side and/or end walls of the container.

The shock absorbing material is preferably a closed cell foam polystyrene material. Such material is extremely light in weight and capable of only slight deformation or crushing notwithstanding the large loads to which it may be subjected. As soon as the large loads are removed from the cushioning material, it resumes its original shape. Such large loads on the cushioning material are occasioned by dynamic shock when the container is moved from one supporting surface to another and permitted to drop short distances. As will be obvious from the disclosure hereinafter, the shipping container of the present invention is particularly adapted for overseas packaging, domestic packaging, and preferably is designed in external dimensions to permit air shipment. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the interior of the shipping container may have two or more compartments.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel shipping container.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a shipping container which provides a floating support for the object to be shipped.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel external container for overseas shipment of heavy bulky items.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel shipping container which is inexpensive and structurally interrelated in a manner to provide for repeated usage.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings forms which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

- FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the shipping container of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 31-3 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view of another 3,231,124 Patented Jan. 25, 1966 embodiment of the present invention, partly broken away for purposes of illustration.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 66 in FIGURE 5.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like elements, there is shown in FIGURE 1 a shipping container designated generally as 10. The ship ping container 10 is a container which is enclosed on all sides, although observation and/or air apertures may be provided as desired.

' The shipping container 10 comprises a skid 12 which may be a layer of plywood thick. Mounting strips 13, 15 and 16 are fixedly secured to the underside of the skid 12 along the side edges and the central portion thereof as illustrated. Thus, it will be noted that the strips 13, 15, and 16 project beyond the ends and the sides of the skid 12. Rubbing strips 14 are fixedly se cured to the end portions of the mounting strips 13 and 16 to facilitate handling with fork lift apparatus.

Headers 18 and 18 are secured to the uppermost surface of the skid 12 along side edges thereof as shown more clearly in FIGURES 1 and 2. A layer of shock absorbing material 20 freely overlies the uppermost surface of the skid 12 between the headers 18 and 18'. A strip 22 of shock absorbing material overlies the headers 18 and 18' so that the combined thicknesses of the headers and the strip 22 correspond to the height of the layer of shock absorbing material 20.

The object to be shipped is preferably fixedly secured to a mounting base 24 by means of holes 26 or the like therein. The mounting base 24 may be a layer of plywood or the like corresponding in size to the size of the skid 12. The mounting base 24 freely overlies the layer of shock absorbing material 20 and the shock absorbing strips 22, and is not directly connected thereto or to the skid 12.

The container 10 includes side walls 28, 30, 32 and 33. The container 10 also includes a top 34. Each of the side walls may be a layer of plywood 36 or the like having peripheral and central reinforcing strips 38 applied to the outermost surface thereof. A hold down strip 40 is fixedly secured to the innermost surface of the wall 28 as shown more clearly in FIGURE 2. A similar hold down strip is applied to the innermost surface of the remaining walls. Since the walls are substantially identical, only wall 28 will be described in detail. The hold down strip 40 is spaced from the mounting base 24 by a shock absorbing strip 42. Shock absorbing strips 44 and 44' are fixedly secured adjacent the side edges of the wall 28. Each of the strips 44 and 44' are adapted to cooperate with a mating strip on adjacent side walls. Thus, as shown more clearly in FIGURE 3, strip 44 cooperates with a shock absorbing strip 46 on the side wall 32. The thickness of the strips 44 and 46 is greater than the thickness of the hold down strip 40 so that the strips 44 and 46 may contact the object being shipped and thereby cushion the same to prevent contact between the object and the side walls or the hold down strips 40.

A layer of shock absorbing material 48 is preferably applied to the innermost surface of the top 34. Thus, it will be seen that the top and sides of the object being shipped will be in contact with shock absorbing material. The mounting base 24 will be in contact with shock absorbing material on its lowermost surface and around the uppermost peripheral edges thereof. The hold down strips 40 prevent upward movement of the base 24.

The side walls are secured to the skid by fastening means cooperating with the portions of the mounting strips 13, 15 and 16 which project beyond the periphery of the skid 12. Thus, it will be seen that the object to be shipped will be provided with a floating support and will not be directly connected to the skid or the walls and will be spaced from the skid 12 and the walls of the container by shock absorbing material. The shock absorbing material is preferably a closed cell foam polymeric material such as polystyrene. For large, heavy items such as computers, the layer may have a thickness of approximately two inches.

In FIGURES 46, there is illustrated another embodiment of the present invention wherein the shipping container is designated generally as 50. The container is substantially identical with the container 10 except that it provides for two separate isolated compartments within a single housing as will be made clear hereinafter.

The container 50 includes a skid 52 having a plurality of mounting strips 53, 54 and 55 secured to the lowermost surface thereof as illustrated more clearly in FIG- URE 4. The strips 53, 5 4 and 55 cooperate with the skid 52 in the same manner as the strips 13, 15 and 16 c0- operate with the skid 12. Rubbing strips 56 are secured to the lowermost surface of the strips 53 and 55 to facilitate handling by means of fork lift apparatus. Headers 58 and 60 are secured to the uppermost surface of the skid 52 and extend across the ends thereof as illustrated in FIGURE 4.

Strips 62 of shock absorbing material overlie the headers 5,8 and 60. Layers 64 and 66 of shock absorbing material overlie the uppermost surface of the skid 52 between the headers 58 and 60. The adjacent ends of the layers 64 and 66 are spaced apart to form a gap 68 therebetween. A mounting base 70 overlies the layer 64 and a mounting base 72 overlies the layer 66. As referred to above, the mounting bases are freely resting on the layers of shock absorbing material and are adapted to be removably coupled to the object to be shipped.

The container 50 is provided with two end walls, two side walls, and a top. Thus, only end wall 74, side wall 76 and top 78 are illustrated. Each of the walls is provided with a hold down strip as referred to above. Thus, end wall 74 is provided with a hold down strip St) and side Wall 76 is provided with a hold down strip 80. Strip 80, is spaced from the uppermost surface of the base 72 by means of a shock absorbing strip 82. Likewise, strip 80' is spaced from the uppermost surface of the bases 70 and 72 by means of a shock absorbing strip 82.

Each of the walls, such as end wall 74, are provided with shock absorbing strips 8 1V and 86 adjacent side edges thereof for cooperation with similar strips on the adjacent wall. The last-mentioned strips are adapted to contact the object to be shipped as referred to above. Each of the side walls is provided with a guide slot on its innermost surface. Such guide slots are identical, hence only the guide slot for wall 76 will be described in detail. Guide strips 88 and Ml are fixedly secured to the innermost surface of the wall 76. Such guide strips 88 and 90 may be of the same thickness or slightly thicker than the hold down strips 80 and 80'. As illustrated, the guide strips 88 and 90 are applied adjacent a central portion of the wall 76. If desired, the last-mentioned strips may be applied at any point along the wall 76 so as to provide a guide slot which is in line with the gap 68.

A partition 92 is. provided to divide the interior of the container 50 into two separate isolated compartments. Partition 952 comprises a central layer 94 having upright reinforcing strips 96, 98 and 100 applied to one side thereof as illustrated. A corresponding reinforcing strip is applied on the opposite side of'the layer 94- and desig nated with primed numerals. An upper reinforcing strip 194 and 104' are applied to opposite sides of the layer 94'. Likewise, lower reinforcing strips 102 and 1152" are applied to opposite sides of the central layer 94. Y

A shock absorbing strip 106 is applied to the reinforcement strip 26. A shock absorbing strip 108 is appliedto the reinforcing strip 98. Strip 108 cooperates with strip 111 on wall 76. Strip 106 is adapted to cooperate with a strip corresponding to strip 111 on a Wall opposite wall 76. The central layer 94 extends beyond the bottom strips 102 and 1102' thereby defining a tongue 110 adapted to enter the gap 68. Preferably the tongue 110 is shorter than the depth of the gap 68. The lowermost surface of the strips 102 and 102' are provided with strips of shock absorbing material which engage the uppermost surface of the juxtaposed bases70 and 72.

The side and end walls of the container 50 may be a single layer of material, a double layer of material. Preferably, the walls are a sheet of plywood or the like having reinforcing strips applied to only one side but in the manner of the reinforcing strips applied to the central layer 94. In each of the embodiments described above, except for the shock absorbing material and any nuts and bolts or nails, all of the material is preferably wood or other lightweight packaging material capable of being fastened and reused. The uppermost surface of the strips 104 and 104 are adapted to be in contact with the layer of shock absorbing material on the innermost surface of the top 78. Thus, it will be noted that the shock absorbing material on the inner surface of the top 7 8 need not be provided with a gap such as gap 68. While the container 50 is provided with a partition 92, it will be noted that the container may be readily converted to a single chamber container by removing the readily removable partition 92. The mounting base for the object to be shipped may be a single sheet of material such. as base 24, or may be several separate sheets of material, each individually coupled to the object.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A partitioned container comprising a housing which includes a skid supporting upright side walls, a top coupled to the uppermost edge of the side walls, a partition extending between opposite side walls dividing the interior of said housing into two compartments, a separate layer of yieldable and resilient shock absorbing material overlying the skid in each compartment, a mounting base overlying each layer of shock absorbing material, each mounting base having peripheral edges closely adjacent said side walls, said partition overlying a portion of the peripheral edges of each mounting base, and means within said housing for maintaining each base in contact with its respective layer of shock absorbing material, said means including a hold down strip secured to the inner periphery of the side Walls and extending inwardly over said peripheral edges of the mounting bases, and a strip of yieldable and resilient shock absorbing material disposed between the hold down strip and the juxtaposed peripheral edges of the mounting bases, said strip of shock absorbing material being in contact with said bases and said hold down strip.

2. A container in accordance with claim 1 including means on said. opposite side walls for guiding the partition in an upright disposition, a portion of said partition extending into a gap between said layers of shock absorbing material, strips of shock absorbing material on the inner periphery of. said walls adjacent. the intersection of the walls, and strips of shock absorbing material on the partition adjacent side edges thereof.

' 3. A shipping container comprising a skid, side walls coupled to the skid, a top wall coupled to the side walls, yieldable and resilient shock absorbing material on said skid, a mounting base overlying said shock absorbing material and having peripheral edges closely adjacent said side walls, means for maintaining said base in contact with said shock absorbing material, said last-mentioned means including a hold down strip secured to the inner periphery of the. sidewalls and extending inwardly over said peripheral edges of the mounting base, said strip being spaced above said mounting base, and a strip of yieldable and resilient shock absorbing material disposed between the hold down strip and the juxtaposed peripheral edges of the mounting base, said strip of shock absorbing material being in contact with said base and said hold down strip.

4. A container in accordance with claim 3 wherein shock absorbing material is fixed on the inner surface of at least two of said side walls.

5. A shipping container comprising a skid, side walls coupled to the skid, a top wall coupled to the side walls, a layer of yieldable and resilient shock absorbing material on said skid, an elongated header strip surrounding the outer periphery of said material, said header strip being supported on said skid, a mounting base overlying said layer, and having peripheral edges closely adjacent said side walls, means for maintaining said base in contact with said shock absorbing material, said last-mentioned means including a first strip of shock absorbing material between a port-ion of the periphery of said base and said header, and in contact with said base and header, a hold down strip secured to the inner periphery of the side walls and extending inwardly over said peripheral edges of the mounting base, and a strip of yieldable and resilient shock absorbing material disposed between the hold down strip and the juxtaposed peripheral edges of the mounting base,

8. A container in accordance with claim 7 whereinsaid polymeric material is polystyrene.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,166,594 7/1939 Jenks 206- 2,746,824 5/1956 Bond 21753 2,809,746 10/ 1957 Lankford 21753 2,994,425 8/1961 Honeycutt 206-46 3,064,845 11/1962 Maxwell 217-43 FOREIGN PATENTS 638,916 6/1950 Great Britain.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE O. RALSTON, Examiner. 

3. A SHIPPING CONTAINER COMPRISING A SKID, SIDE WALLS COUPLED TO THE SKID, A TOP WALL COUPLED TO THE SIDE WALLS, YIELDABLE AND RESILIENT SHOCK ABSORBING MATERIAL ON SAID SKID, A MOUNTING BASE OVERLYING SAID SHOCK ABSORBING MATERIAL AND HAVING PERIPHERAL EDGES CLOSELY ADJACENT SAID SIDE WALLS, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID BASE IN CONTACT WITH SAID SHOCK ABSORBING MATERIAL, SAID LAST-MENTIONED MEANS INCLUDING A HOLD DOWN STRIP SECURED TO THE INNER PERIPHERY OF THE SIDEWALLS AND EXTENDINGG INWARDLY OVER SAID PERIPHERAL EDGES OF THE MOUNTING BASE, SAID STRIP BEING SPACED ABOVE SAID MOUNTING BASE, AND A STRIP OF YIELDABLE AND RESILIENT SHOCK ABSORBING MATERIAL DIS- 